Tag Archives: writing

To help you reflect upon your progress in the Manresa Scholars Program, our Ignatian Integration Papers create three intellectual checkpoints throughout the fall semester in which Scholars are given the opportunity to relate their work in the classroom to the Ignatian values of their living-learning community.

These two-page papers are submitted to each student’s Manresa professor for a grade.

Manresa Scholar Julia Townsend presents one of her Ignatian Integration Papers at the “Manresa Scholars Showcase” at the end of the fall semester.

Each is based on a specific prompt that connects the learning styles within the Manresa Seminars to the outcomes of the Shared Expectation programs.

The first prompt calls for an emphasis on the elements of discovery and imagination.

The second reflects upon the values of young adults at a Jesuit school, and the third allows for a mental recap of the entire semester, as well as personal input towards future Manresa programming.

With my Integration Paper experience, the final prompt was my favorite as it pushed me not only to reflect on my individual Manresa experience in my course and with the programs I participated in, but also to use my intellectually-bothered spirit to develop ideas that could benefit the entirety of the community.

At the end of the fall semester, the Loyola Hall community comes together for the “Manresa Scholars Showcase,” during which individual Ignatian Integration Papers from each Manresa course are selected by the professors for presentation. This event is a great opportunity for chosen Scholars to demonstrate their skills acquired through their Eloquentia Perfecta Manresa courses, and to share their personal insights on the Ignatian values of the program with their peers.

The Manresa Scholars Program offers five seminars each semester, and this upcoming fall, we are excited to offer a new history course, “Understanding Historical Change: FightingforEqualRights in American History.” Taught by Professor Kirsten Swinth, the course explores episodes in American history through the lens of citizenship.

Together, Scholars consider how different groups of Americans have acquired full citizenship, from political to civil and social rights, and the conflicts that resulted from these expansions in citizenship. “Everything we talk about in this class speaks to what it means to live in America today, from political rights to income inequality and social inclusion. We ask hard questions about what democracy means in America and debate whether or not this nation has fulfilled its promise of full equal citizenship to all its members,” says Professor Swinth.

Course highlights include documentary screenings including 13th, to learn about the history behind Black Lives Matter. Students also take part in a discussion group to discuss the powerful book, Evicted, and the Freedom Schools of the Civil Rights Movement.

The course fulfills the Eloquentia Perfecta 1, Understanding Historical Change, and American Pluralism core requirements for Fordham College at Rose Hill students. As an American Pluralism course, it specifically examines how race, gender, and ethnicity have shaped struggles for citizenship. Students gain Eloquentia Perfecta skills as the course emphasizes participation, speaking, and writing, using effective speech and analytical thought.

In this course, Manresa Scholars are be challenged to explore issues facing modern-day Americans. Professor Swinth hopes that students gain an “understanding of the roots of hotly-debated issues of today and a passion for equality and justice.”

Manresa Scholars in The Lost Interlocutor Seminar spent the past semester investigating the themes of existence, knowledge, truth, morality, and beliefs. The course taught by Manresa Faculty Director and FCRH Freshman Dean, Dr. Robert Parmach, stresses critical spoken dialogue and writing. The skills and material the Scholars learn come together at interactive out-of-class events, such as the Interlocutor Fallacy Night.

Manresa Scholar Nick Swope reflects on his experience.

Dean Parmach facilitates a discussion on intersections between the semester’s Manresa Seminars.

Coming from a public high school, I had never taken a philosophy course. My Manresa Seminar has opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. I now examine the world around me in a more thorough manner, asking the questions of why and how instead of who and what. Some of the main themes we discussed include avoiding sloppy thinking, Eloquentia Perfecta techniques, the meaning of relationships, the relationship between the physical and metaphysical world, and nature of the mind, among others.

One Manresa program I found particularly meaningful was the Interlocutor Fallacy Night.

Scholar Nick Swope presents his insights at the Manresa Showcase.

As part of the program, we learned about different types of logical fallacies and picked some out of different video clips. This really opened my eyes to how often people misuse logic to make an argument, especially when they do not have a strong one. As a young adult, I find this most relevant during the recent presidential election, in which I was a first-time voter.

In an election focused more on the candidates’ character than the issues concerning our country, I believe it is important to critically examine each candidate’s argument to determine which, if either, is making a strong case as to why they should be our next Commander-in-Chief. After seeing so many logical fallacies in a short clip, I realized how important it is to critically examine people’s arguments to make sure they are cogent and truthful.

A concept that has been heavily emphasized in our Manresa Philosophy class, and I believe is valuable for all young adults to study at a Jesuit institution, is Eloquentia Perfecta. This skill is defined as developing critical reading, writing, and speaking skills to make cogent arguments and be able to defend them under intense scrutiny. This is practiced every class through discussions, as everyone contributing is expected to have adequate defense for his or her claims.

For one assignment, we teamed up with a partner to do an Eloquentia Perfecta presentation based on an assigned reading. Pairs presented over the course of the semester and after each presentation, Dean Parmach emailed the entire class as to what the presenters did well and what they need to improve on, so that everyone could learn from each other’s mistakes in a supportive environment. I had an enlightening experience in my Manresa course and am looking forward to continuing my involvement next semester.

One of the many aspects of the Manresa Program that I enjoy is the emphasis on the first-year academic experience, especially easing the transition from a high school to a college learning setting. As Manresa Scholars, we are provided various tools to help us succeed academically, the most prominent tool being the live-in tutors. There are four tutors, two from Fordham College at Rose Hill and two from the Gabelli School of Business. Each holds a minimum of ten office hours a week. In addition to those office hours, during which we can make an appointment for one-on-one or group tutoring sessions in any course subject, the tutors also hold various programs throughout the year, such as public speaking workshops or economics study sessions. One of the more unique programs this semester was a breakdown and discussion of the President’s State of the Union address.

The current tutors were not only a big help last semester when I needed clarification on a subject, but they are also who I will look to help me prepare for sophomore year. Next year, I will be one of the two Gabelli tutors. I will provide specific support in the Ground Floor course, which is the introduction to business class, as well as a potential Manresa course option for Gabelli students, as well as writing in general. I will also provide support in various liberal arts core courses, such as Theology and Composition II. Students will be able to reach out to me for tutoring sessions or for review and feedback via email. The other Gabelli tutor will provide specific support in Math, Economics, and Statistics courses, as well as liberal arts courses. I am extremely excited for this opportunity!

Learning isn’t just about going to class and absorbing information; a major part of learning is sharing what you learned with others, and through working with future Manresa Scholars, I will be doing just that.

Future Scholars can look forward to my many program ideas, such as some Ground Floor-specific workshops, in addition to my tutoring duties, and I can’t wait to be spending another year in this community!